Fall Seven Times, Stand Up Eight
by Lara Cox
Summary: Jack is in a Russian prison, thinking about everything he's lost. Suddenly, he's rescued and a special woman comes back to his life, unexpectedly.
1. You Must Remember This

**Author's note: **Hi! Here I bring you a new story. I know it's crazy, since I'm still working on the other one. But, after the disappointment that was Live Another Day I had to do something. I hope you like it.

Unlike my other story, this will follow the canon of the show, respecting everything that happened in Day 8 and LAD. This story happens a few months after LAD. Those who haven't seen LAD might not understand what's going on. Feel free to ask questions.

I think all you need to know is that Audrey's dead and Jack turned himself to the Russians. He was taken to a prison in Moscow. Before LAD, Jack spent some time in Serbia, where he befriended a member of the Serbian mob called Belcheck, who is kind of awesome.

Some flashbacks that will appear in this story were used in my other story, but I kept them because they fit in this one too.

Renee's past before Day 7 will be pretty much the same one I invented in my other story, since we never got any new information in the show that contradicts what I stated. There are only a few changes, because we now know she was 36 when she died and I had her age wrong.

**IMPORTANT consideration: **I'll use the following time line:

**Day One:** March 2, 2004 (Primary Day of the 2004 election, Super Tuesday)  
><strong>Day Two :<strong> September/October 2005  
><strong>Day Three:<strong> September/October 2008  
><strong>Day Four:<strong> March/April 2010  
><strong>Day five:<strong> September/October 2011  
><strong>Day Six:<strong> April 6th 2013  
><strong>Redemption:<strong> January 20 2017 (President Taylor's inauguration)

**Day Seven:** March 25 and 26 2017 (It was stated that it takes roughly 65 days after President Taylor's inauguration)  
><strong>Day Eight:<strong> May 20 and 21 2018 (this was stated by Fox)

**LAD: **Around May 2022.

**Fall seven times, stand up eight**

**Chapter One****: **

**You must remember this**

**YEAR 1886**

**Malibu, California**

Teri Thomson was a happy twenty year old woman. She had met a man who was the most perfect man in the universe to her and he had been with her for six months. She was madly in love with Jack Bauer. The two of them had soon become inseparable.

At that moment, the young couple was at the beach, having a lovely time. They were busy making out. But, all the sudden, it began pouring. People began running away from the beach frenetically. But not Teri. She simply stood up, looked at the sky and closed her eyes.

"Come on, sweetheart. We have to go", Jack urged her.

"No way!". Teri thought the rain made the day more fun. She took his hands and practically dragged him to the ocean. Once there, she began spinning around, while trying to catch the raindrops with her tongue.

Jack observed her feeling fascinated. He loved how Teri made everything fun. She truly enjoyed life. She was funny, innocent, pure and so extremely beautiful. Her long brown curls seemed to dance as she spun around. Then she stopped spinning and gave Jack the sweetest smile he had ever seen as they locked eyes.

It was then when he couldn't take it anymore. "Marry me!"

Teri's steel blue eyes widened in shock. She couldn't believe what Jack was saying. "What?".

Jack was shocked too. He had surprised himself. The words just had impulsively come out. But as he thought about it, he realized that it made sense. "Please, don't be scared". He approached her and took her hands. His heart was racing. "Listen, Teri… I… I never had a loving family. But I want to start one now, with you. I love you. I didn't even know what love was until I met you. When I'm with you I don't think about my past. I think about our future. We are both really young, we have so much future before us and I only want to walk towards it with you. I want us to be together forever. Please, would you marry me?".

Teri didn't hesitate. Not even for a second. "Yes… Yes… yes!". She kissed him avidly.

Jack was pleasantly surprised with her answer. He was so extremely happy. He kissed her back and hoisted Teri up. The two lovers remained kissing under the light rain. They felt they were the only two people in the world.

**March 20****th**** 2010**

**Los Angeles- California **

Audrey opened the door to her hotel room. It was dark, but she didn't turn the lights on.

"Hello?", she spoke to the seemingly empty room. She looked around, with surprise. She expected Jack to be there, since she had given him a copy of the keys. She left the keys on a table "Hello?"

Suddenly, Jack grabbed her from behind and covered her mouth. She startled.

"Don't move", he whispered. "Slowly,_ slowly_, turn around"

She smiled, already feeling aroused, and obeyed him. They both loved to play games like that. They had been together for six months. Those were the most passionate six months of his life.

He kissed her. Their tongues caressed slowly. They began undressing each other as they headed to the bed. He pressed her against a wall and kissed her breasts, and then her abdomen. He hoisted her up and carried her to the bed while she kissed his neck.

The next morning, Jack woke up feeling happier than he had been in years. His wife's death had nearly destroyed him. But now, because of Audrey, the pain was subsiding. It was still complicated, though. Audrey wasn't divorced yet, and she wasn't ready to tell others about their relationship. But Jack was falling in love with her.

He left the bed and found her in the bathroom, taking a shower. He walked into the bathroom without making any noise. He heard her singing a very old song.

_You must remember this__  
>A kiss is just a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh.<em>_  
>The fundamental things apply<em>_  
>As time goes by.<em>

_And when two lovers woo__  
>They still say, "I love you."<em>_  
>On that you can rely<em>_  
>No matter what the future brings<em>_  
>As time goes by.<em>

Jack smiled. It was the from the movie Casablanca. They had seen that movie together on their third date, when they had sex for the first time. It was _their_ song.

He stepped into the shower and took her in his arms.

**May 21****st**** 2018**

**New York City**

Summoning all her strength, Renee looked into Jack's eyes and decided to set him free. "I know that we've said a lot of things to each other, and you've made promises to me about... I just want you to know that I'm not gonna hold you to them."

She was full of doubts about the way he felt about her. But he felt exactly as she did. And as long as they both wanted to be together nothing else mattered at that point. He knew they had a lot to talk about. But they had all the time in the world for serious conversations. They could talk about anything later. With determination, he stepped towards her.

Renee barely noticed he was getting closer. She was too sure he couldn't possibly want her _that _way. So she remained lost in her rambling. "It's been a terrible day and I know that we… we say things in the moment, and I just... I don't want you to..." That was when she was suddenly interrupted by gently taking her face and planting a kiss on her lips. She was a bit slow to reciprocate at first, she was too overwhelmed. Jack was actually kissing her with so much passion. It was so astonishing but he actually wanted her. It felt like a dream and it terrified her that she could wake up. She finally dared to kiss him back with equal fervor, putting a hand on the back of his head and the other one on his cheek.

It was all that took for things to begin heating up uncontrollably. She put her arms around his neck. He hoisted her up and carried her to his bedroom as they kissed desperately. Once they were over the bed, they quickly began undressing each other. But then he remembered how badly she had been hurt the night before. What if it was too much too soon for her? He reluctantly moved away from her, gasping for air. "Hey" he whispered softly "are… are you okay with this?"

Saying she was 'okay' would have been the understatement of the century. She didn't reply with words though. Instead, she finished undressing him like she absolutely owned him and every clothe covering his body. Soon even his bandages were off, leaving just two small dressings protecting that damned wound in the stomach and another one by the shoulder. As they kissed, she made him lay fully on his back and positioned herself on top of him, taking control of the situation. It was a position she needed to feel safe and confident in bed again. She kissed him and then his perfectly formed chest. His was the only body that actually belonged as close to hers.

After the spectacular lovemaking, Jack laid on his back, trying to recover his breath. Renee rested her head on his chest and keept one arm around him. He loved just watching her, running his fingers through her dark auburn hair and smelling it. He could sense the smell of his own shampoo on her hair, which meant she had taken a shower in his bathroom the night before, during her two-hour break. Noticing that essence automatically made him at ease. While the possessive-male in him celebrated his victory, the sweet-gentleman in him was deeply concerned about her. Was she truly as great as she seemed? As he caressed the soft skin of her back, he made the natural question. "Are you okay?"

Renee thought it was adorable how he worried about her even though she hadn't been able to stop smiling ever since they had reached one spectacular climax. Her joy was obvious. "I'm great…"

Glad to hear that, he began kissing her neck, then her shoulders and then her breast. It particularly fascinated him that small rose she had tattooed in black ink, right on top of her left boob. She could be so unpredictable and complex. Brushing the rose with the tip of his fingers, he commented "I love this tatoo"

Renee's features darkened. She had gotten that tattoo six years before. "It was my initiation tattoo. When you are accepted in a Russian gang you get a rose in your chest", she spoke barely in a whisper, avoiding his gaze. A rose on her chest was an indication that a person was a new member of a Russian mob, but it could also mean 'r_uined youth_'. Which was why Renee had thought it suited her perfectly. "Every sin leaves a mark" she added bitterly, quoting the tagline from the movie 'Eastern Promises'.

Jack then felt like an idiot for unwillingly bringing up that topic. He held her tightly in a protective and comforting way. And then he said sincerely "You know? I still like that rose very much". He was clearly not talking just about the tattoo. Couldn't she see how desirable he found her? And how beautiful he found her inside and out? "Why wouldn't I like what makes you be you? Renee, now I know more than I ever did about you. And… I've never wanted you more" Jack admitted sincerely. Everything he had learned about Renee during the past thirteen hours made him care about her even more than before. He felt more connected to her than ever. When he saw that beautiful girlish smile on her face again, he realized she had understood him.

"Jack" she shook her head marveled by him. "You can't possibly want me more than I want you" Before he could dissent, she shut him up with a very passionate kiss.

When he lived in Africa, Jack had learnt that during a mating bout lions copulate between twenty and forty times a day. Of course, he didn't intend getting anywhere close to break that impressive record. However, after making love to Renee for the second time, he wanted to have her again. He couldn't have enough of her. Except that, for the moment, they were just making out, taking a short break from other activities. That was also amazing. He loved just watching her gorgeous face, caressing her hair and staring deep into her beautiful blue eyes. But even though she had shown no sign of discomfort, he had to make sure once more that she was feeling at ease. "You okay?"

"Perfect" She whispered the only word that described accurately how she was feeling at that very instant. It was the way he made her feel. Through a huge and horrible storm they had reached their shore together. And if Jack could look at her with such loving eyes after everything he had saw and learnt about her, she was sure they could face anything together.

"Promise?" He asked needing to know for sure the joy she seemed to feel next to him was real.

"Hmm." She mumbled as she nodded to reassure him. Suddenly, she was the one who wanted to stay silent. She just wanted to enjoy his proximity, the feeling of his skin making contact with hers and his face with those gorgeous eyes and those lovely wrinkles around them. She wanted to take a moment to enjoy that it was truly him the one so close to her.

'Perfect' described the way Jack was feeling at that very moment too. Except for one small trouble, his mouth was dry. He felt incredibly thirsty. He hadn't taken anything to drink since… well, since that disgusting shot of Vodka, indeed. With Renee currently in his arms, Jack just wanted to hold on to her and never let her go. Yet, he had to get up and get some water, which sucked because he longed to spend all day just glued to her in bed. So the timing to desperately need some water was truly a bad one. That made him chuckle as he stated "I am so thirsty."

"Me too." She admitted, giggling along with him.

"Do you want me to get you something to drink?" He offered while caressing a lock of her hair, glad to notice her smile was reaching her eyes.

"Yeah"

"Okay." He just needed to kiss her one more time before leaving the bed. They kissed briefly and then he assured her "I'll be right back."

Renee watched him sitting on the side of the bed, putting his jeans again. She brushed his scars with her hand. Those lines on his back were truly like a map of his life, a life that had been full of pain and sorrow for too long. But that life had made him who he was now, and frankly, she wouldn't have him any other way.

She grinned as he took a white shirt and put it on. For a second there she wanted to tell him not to get dressed, since she would have to undress him again. But she bit her lower lip and restrained herself.

"Don't move." He whispered to her as he left to the kitchen.

**May 27****th**** 2022**

**Moscow, Russia **

He was tied to an uncomfortable chair, wearing only a grey t-shirt and matching pants. The strong lights were blinding him. The loud music wouldn't let him think. The Russians had beaten him up and put him in that room where it was impossible to sleep. He had been there for two nights and three days. All he felt was the pain of his broken rib.

Suddenly, the music stopped and the room became normally lighted. A young blue-eyed man appeared. He was a security guard Jack hadn't met yet. There was another guard with him, that one was huge, older and had tick eyebrows.

"Hello, Mr. Bauer. We meet, at last", the young man said in a tick Russian accent. Jack remained silent. "I'm truly sorry I wasn't on duty yesterday, when they brought you", he told him, while prepping a syringe.

Jack looked at the man preparing the syringe and his heart began beating fast. He knew what they would give him. It was substance he knew too well. He had used it hundredths of times. The Chinese had used it on him for twenty months. The memories of China still made him shiver.

He showed no emotions, though.

One more man came in. But that was unnecessary. Jack didn't intend to fight. He was broken. He was dead inside. He didn't care about anything.

Two men held him, while the man with blue eyes gave him an injection.

After a moment, Jack felt an agonizing pain in every inch of his body. It fell as if he were on fire.

He let out a loud scream and took deep breaths while sweat ran through his face.

"Mr. Bauer, don't you wanna know who I am?", the blue-eyed Russian asked. Jack merely gave him a confused look. "I'm not just another prison guard. You killed someone who was important to me".

Jack had no idea who the man was talking about. He remained silent.

The Russian gave him another injection.

"Who are you?", Jack finally asked, after screaming in pain and gasping for air.

"I want you to guess", the guard said, with a smirk on his face. "If you guess correctly, I'll let you go back to your cell, where you'll be able to sleep. Jack didn't say anything. The man hit him on the face, making him bleed. "Who am I?" Jack spitted on his face.

The man wiped the mixture of blood and saliva from his face, while another guard gave Jack electric shots with a taser gun.

"Who am I?", the man asked him, yelling.

"I don't know", Jack admitted, with fury in his eyes. "And I don't care"

The man nodded at the other guards as if saying _now_. One guard grabbed Jack, while the other one removed Jack's shoes and socks.

The blue-eyed man grabbed a knife.

"If you don't guess, I'll cut your toe. If you give the wrong answer, I'll cut your toe", the man informed coldly.

Jack stared at the man silently for a long time. For the life of him, he didn't know who the man was. What did he knew about the man? The man was Russian and Jack had killed someone important to him. Jack had killed so many Russians that trying to guess which one was related to the man was impossible.

"You are Novakovich's son", Jack said, just to venture a guess.

It was the wrong answer.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Bauer. Your little toe has to go", the man said.

Jack widened his eyes in horror.

Two guards held him while the man cut Jack's little toe of the left foot.

Jack cried loudly, feeling an enormous amount of pain.

"Who am I?", the man asked. "You still have nine toes and ten fingers. That means you have nineteen guesses left"

"You're a son of a bitch!", Jack yelled. "I'm done playing your game!"

The guards held him again, and the man cut Jack's second toe of the left foot.

Jack screamed and sweated profusely. Involuntary tears fell from his eyes.

"Who am I?", the stranger asked, yet again.

Jack stared at the man's face, searching for some clue. He focused on the man's eyes. They were pale blue, hooded and almond-shaped. Jack remembered seeing eyes like that before. He also remembered the big ears and the triangular nose.

"You're Ivan Tokarev, Pavel Tokarev's brother", Jack affirmed.

"Yes, I am", Ivan confirmed, with a smirk. "And I'll make your life here a living hell"

**Six months later… **

Jack woke up in the tiny bed, in his tiny cell. He was shaken up by a horrible nightmare. He gasped for air and wiped the drops of sweat from his forehead. In the dream, he saw Audrey getting shot. Suddenly, Audrey became Renee, who was bleeding in his arms and gasping for air.

It was the middle of the night. He didn't have a wristwatch or a window to look outside, but he could tell the time because he didn't hear a sound.

He thought about them every day. He was haunted by the memory of the women who had died on him. They died because he failed to protect them.

He thought about Teri. About how she loved romantic comedies and songs by Frank Sinatra, and how they danced "The way you look tonight" on their wedding, during their first dance as husband and wife. How he loved spending Sundays with her and Kim. They had a lot of great moments, even though they had their share of fights. His job had ruined everything.

He thought about his daughter. He missed her every day. He wanted to play chess with her, like they used to. He wanted to go to the zoo with little Teri. He wanted to meet his grandson. He didn't even know his name. It broke his heart in tiny pieces.

He also thought about Audrey's love for carnations and classical movies. He regretted not having a real conversation with her when he last saw her. All he simply touched her nose with his and cried. He mumbled some apology for killing all those people. He asked her if her husband was good to her and made her happy. She never answered. Mark said to him "_She loves you_". Jack wondered if that was true.

Jack thought about Renee as well. He thought a lot about her. Her long auburn hair. Her expressive pale blue eyes. Her freckles. Her tattoo. He missed her. He missed her courage and her strength. He missed her bluntness.

He had spent only two days with her. He didn't really know much about her. And it hurt. He never had time to find out about her favorite movies, her favorite food and what music she liked. He didn't even know how she liked her coffee. It hurt. It hurt so badly he could hardly breathe.

A month after her death, he hacked into the FBI database and read her file, in a desperate attempt to get to know her. He found out that her father died in the first Gulf war. Her mother died of cancer on 2007. Her grandparents were all gone as well. She was an only child. There was no mention of any other relative. She was never married. She was born on January 20 of 1982. She would be 40 years old. She was considered gifted. She graduated from the University of Columbia at the age of 19, with a double major in American studies and Russian studies. She started a master in international affairs, but dropped out to join the FBI in 2002. Jack wished he knew why.

He hated learning those facts from reading a file. He wanted to talk to her more than anything.

His thoughts were brusquely interrupted.

Two guards walked into his cell: Vasily and Simeon.

"What do you want?", Jack asked them, annoyed.

They dragged him out of his bed.

"Don't make a sound", Vasily ordered, while covering Jack's mouth. "We'll get you out of here. Trust us".

Jack didn't trust them at all. He didn't wish to go anywhere with them. It could all be a trap. He fidgeted and tried to get rid of their hold. Vasily quickly gave him an injection.

Then everything went black.

When he woke up, he was in the back of a moving car. Vasily was driving, while Simeon was in the passenger's seat. He looked through the window. There were mountains.

"Where are you taking me?", he asked.

"You'll see. We are close to our destination", Vasily said.

"Where the hell are we?", Jack asked.

"We are in the south of Russia", Simeon answered.

After ten minutes, the car stopped next to a cliff. The three men got out of the vehicle.

Then, a green car parked next to him. The driver was Belcheck.

Jack widened his eyes, surprised to see him.

"Jack, are you okay?", Belcheck asked. His friend nodded.

"He's fine", Vasily said sharply. "Now we want our money"

Belcheck took a laptop and transferred two million dollars to the men's accounts.

"I'm gonna need your car", he told them.

"Fine", Vasily agreed. "A pleasure doing business with you".

He and Simeon left walking.

Belcheck opened the trunk of the green car. There was a dead body in it, a blonde man of Jack's size. He looked like he had died very recently. He had been hit on the head repeatedly.

"Who is he?", Jack asked, intrigued and alarmed. What was going on?

"He's you", Belcheck replied. "Let's dress him with your clothes"

Jack then understood what his friend wanted to do. He took off his uniform and got dressed with the dead man's clothes.

"Now help me put him in the driver's seat of the other car", Belcheck said.

The men placed the corpse in the driver's seat of the car. Afterwards, they pushed the car until it fell off the cliff. The car exploded as it hit the ground.

"The guards will say you attacked them and stole Vasily's car", Belcheck explained. "The Russians will think you died while trying to escape".

"It's not gonna work", Jack stated. "What about the finger prints? The DNA test?".

"We already bribed the people who will be in charge of that", Belcheck explained.

They got in the green vehicle and took off.

"Belcheck, you don't have enough money to bribe all those people", Jack stated. He knew his friend wasn't rich. Bribing the guards and the forensic team must have cost several millions.

"I'm not the one who put the money", Belcheck said.

Jack was more intrigued than ever.

A few minutes later, they arrived to a gorgeous cabin in the middle of nowhere.

They walked into the cabin.

Someone was sitting on a couch, waiting anxiously for them.

Jack widened his eyes and mouth, feeling astonished. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

He was looking at Renee Walker.

**To be continued… **

**Please, tell me what you think of this!**


	2. Just Breathe

**Author's note: **Thank you very much! This story's been having a lot of support. I want to thank to those who read and reviews. Please, keep the reviews coming. And special thanks to those who put this story in the favorite list: Castlegirl1213. Miham, my friend Brendan and XxStarg8rocksxX. You guys made my day.

This chapter explains how Renee's death was faked. I hope you don't find the story too crazy. I think this is how Renee should come back to 24 is they do another season (And I think they'll do it). BY THE WAY, much crazier things have happened on the show. This is actually very plausible by the show's standards.

I invite you all to re-watch Renee's death scene while reading the first scene of this chapter. You'll notice I'm not so crazy.

The scene where they take Renee to the OR was a bit difficult because everybody is kind of talking at the same time, and it's not so clear who is saying what. But I tried to reconstruct it the best I could.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own 24, and I don't own the characters. I'm just doing this for fun, I'm not making any money with it.

**CHAPTER 02****:**

**JUST BREATHE**

**May 21****st**** 2018**

**New York City**

Jack was getting water for Renee and himself. He was lost in thoughts. He had promised Kim to go to LA. with her. What would happen now? He wanted to be with Renee, and he loved his family as well. What could he do? What if he asked Renee to go to California with him? Would she agree? Would she think he was crazy, that it was too soon? It was so soon. They were just starting. But his feelings were very strong already.

His thoughts were interrupted by Renee's voice.

"Jack, you need to hear this. Samir…"

She stopped talking abruptly. Jack turned around, feeling confused. The first thing he saw was a bullet hole in his window. Then he saw Renee's feet. She was lying on the floor.

"Renee… Renee!", he yelled, running towards her, trying to dodge the bullets that the sniper kept shooting. "God!", he whispered when he saw her on the ground, with blood coming from her mouth. She was panting for air and wincing in pain. "Don't talk. I'll take you to the hospital".

He noticed his cellphone. Someone was still on the other side of the line. He grabbed it.

"Who is this?", he barked. For a moment, he thought it was the caller's fault.

"It's Chloe", his friend said, with concern.

"Chloe, it's Jack", he said. "Renee's been hit by a sniper, through the window of my apartment. We are still taking fire. I need a trauma team ready at St. Andrew now"

"Hold on. Stay with me", he asked her. "Come on" He scooped her up and carried her. "Let's go" He stopped merely for a second to think what to do next. They were still under fire. He decided not to care about that. The priority was to take Renee to a hospital.

He ran downstairs, two floors, with her in his arms, until he reached the lobby of his apartment.

"Keep everybody in", he told the stunned people in the lobby. "There's a sniper outside. Call 911. Now!"

Fortunately, there was a yellow taxi right outside.

"Move!", he yelled at some people who got in his way. He rapidly got Renee into at the taxi. "She's just been shot. We need to get to the hospital. St. Andree hospital. 22nd and 9th".

The driver naturally complied.

Jack held Renee in the back of the taxi. He could see the terror and the pain in her eyes.

"We are gonna make it", he promised. "Breathe. Just breathe". He could see in her eyes that she was giving up. She softly shook her head, as if saying _no_. "We are gonna make it. I promise", he promised one again. He was saying _we_ because he realized he wouldn't make it without her. He needed her. He could tell her life was slipping away. He grew more anxious. He addressed the driver. "Do whatever you have to! We need to get to the hospital now!", he yelled with desperation.

The taxi driver accelerated and passed other vehicles.

Jack could tell that it was the end. Renee was losing consciousness.

"No. No. Come on. Come on", he whispered. _Please, don't die on me, _he thought. He held her closer to his body. Her face was touching his. "I got you". He rocked her in his arms and closed his eyes. "No. You'll be allright. We are almost there.".

Thirty seconds later, in the CIA headquarters, in New York City, Director Zackary Connelly was very busy. For the last three weeks, he had been investigating the president of Russia, Yuri Suvarov. The CIA spied on the Russians constantly. One day, they heard information about a possible assassination attempt on Omar Hasan at the hand of Kamistani rebels, with the support of Yuri Suvarov. But they couldn't do anything to stop it. They didn't have enough evidence to make accusations, or to act on what they knew. They didn't even believe the information was true until somebody tried to kill Omar Hasan the night before. Now, they had succeeded. The President of Kamistan was dead. The peace treaty was probably dead as well.

His second in command, Emma Lawson, interrupted his thoughts.

"Zack, you are not going to believe this!", she exclaimed.

"What happened?", he asked, and took a sip of his coffee.

"Agent Corday called. They were following that Russian diplomat, Pavel Tokarev…", she began explaining.

Zackary got anxious.

"Go to the point, Emma, what happened?"

"Tokarev shot a woman called Renee Walker. She's a former FBI agent who worked for CTU today", she informed, talking as fast as she could.

"Oh, God", Zackary said. "She must know something. Is she still alive?"

"Barely. She's been taken to Saint Andrew Hospital", Emma replied.

Without saying another word, Zack looked the hospital's number on the computer and made the call.

"St. Andrew", a receptionist picked up the phone.

"This is Director Connelly, from the CIA. I need to speak with your Chief of Emergency, now! A woman's life is at stake", Zackary said frantically, talking as fast as humanly possible.

The receptionist sensed the urgency and immediately communicated him with Dr. Evan Foreman, a hansom black doctor in his thirties. He was the head of the emergency department and surgical attending specialized in trauma surgery .

"This is Dr. Foreman", he said after picking up the extension.

"Doctor, listen to me. I'm Zack Connely, CIA director. A woman is being taken to your hospital right now. Her name is Renee Walker. She's the key witness of a CIA investigation"

"We'll do everything we can", the doctor promised.

"I need something from you", Zack said. "It is _imperative_ that everybody thinks she's dead. You must save her life without telling anybody that you did, except the team that works in her. If she makes it, make everybody believe she didn't"

"This is all very strange", Evan said scratching his head. He couldn't fake a patient's death because some guy he didn't even know told him. "How do I even know you're who you say you are?"

"I don't have time for this", Zack said. "Do as I say. I'll go to the hospital later and corroborate my story. But this woman needs you to fake her death _now_!"

A nurse interrupted them.

"Doctor? Renee Walker arrived"

Evan rapidly addressed Zack.

"Come soon", he told the other man, with a sharp tone. He was still distrustful. But, just in case it was all true, he decided to humor Zack, for the moment.

Evan hung the phone and rushed to get a surgical mask. His team was bringing Renee Walker in a gurney. A very distraught man with a bloody shirt was following them.

"What do we have?", Dr. Pamela Cortez asked. She was a five-year surgical resident, specializing in trauma surgery.

"Five is prepped", a young male nursed answered.

"We are gonna take care of you", Dr. Donald Everett promised the patient. He was a surgical attending, but he specialized in cardio thoracic surgery.

"Five. Let's go", Pamela commanded.

"How many gunshots guns?", Evan asked.

"One in the chest", Nurse Delia Gunn answered. She then turned around to address the man in the bloody shirt. The guy seemed ready to join them in the OR. "Sir, you need to stay right here".

"Is the patient typing crossed?", Donald asked.

"No", Pamela answered.

"Call the blood bank, send up four units of O-negative", Donald ordered.

"Right away", Delia agreed.

"Come on, come on, come on!", another female nurse said.

"Let's go people", Donald said.

They got Renee into the OR and put her on the operations table. Evan observed how the others worked on Renee. A nurse gave her an unit of blood.

"What do you say, Don?", he asked, with concern. "Will she make it?"

"I think I can remove the bullet and repair the damage", Donald stated, with not much confidence. "It'll be tough. The pulmonary artery is pierced"

Evan sighed. He started preparing a syringe with amiodarone.

"Stay away from her, for now", he ordered, to everybody's surprise. He then gave Renee the injection. "I'm giving her amiodarone"

"Dr. Connelly! That will lower the patient's heart rate", Pamela pointed out, feeling alarmed.

"We need her heart rate to be imperceptible", Evan stated, talking fast "We need to tell everybody that she died. That guy who came with her will want to see the body".

Everybody stared at him in disbelief. They were astonished.

"Are you out of your mind?", Donald asked.

"We have orders from the CIA!", Evan said, feeling truly anxious. "I don't have time to explain. Just make her look dead. We have to tell the guy that she died and we have to do it now. So we can take her to another OR and actually save her life".

The nurses disconnected Renee from the machines and removed her IV. Delia somewhat cleaned the blood by Renee's mouth.

Everybody, slowly, left the OR looking miserable. They all hated what they were doing.

Jack was right outside, taking to Chloe over the phone. He saw the entire medical team leaving the OR after working on Renee for less than two minutes. He knew it was the end.

"I'll get back to you", he told Chloe, and disconnected the call.

Evan walked towards Jack, while the rest of the team remained behind, staring at them.

"I'm sorry. She didn't make it", Evan lied. "There was just too much arterial damage and blood lost. I'm very sorry". He walked away rapidly.

Jack felt like in the middle of a nightmare.

His throat was closed by angst. His chest was hurting.

He slowly headed to the OR, to see her one last time. He could hardly walk. He stopped by the door and gave her a look. She was lying on the operating table. She looked paler than ever. So still. So beautiful… even in death.

He got closer to her. He was making an effort to contain the tears.

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, still warm. Her gorgeous pale blue eyes were shut down forever. He couldn't take it anymore. He rested his forehead in hers and broke down in sobs.

He thought of all the things they'll never get to do, of all the experiences they never share. There were so many things he wanted to say to her. Fifteen minutes before, they were in his bed, starting a life together. Now that life had been ripped away from them.

Somehow, he managed to stop crying.

He simply stared at her body, not wishing to say goodbye.

Pamela walked into the OR. She had been given the unpleasant task of kicking the grieving man out of the OR, so they could move Renee and operate on her. Normally, they would give the relatives a few more minutes to say goodbye, but the medical team was running out of time. They had to start the surgery.

"Sir?", she said. A wave of guilt hit her. The man looked devastated. "I'm so sorry. But we have to move her now"

Jack startled and looked at the woman. He didn't want her to take Renee away from her. He didn't want to stop looking at Renee.

"Sir, are you the husband of the deceased?", Pamela asked.

The question felt like a dagger in Jack's heart. He didn't know how to define his relationship with Renee. They had no official relation.

And that stung badly.

"No", he whispered sadly.

"Well, we need to contact the next on keen. Can you help us with that?", Pamela asked.

Jack looked at Renee one more time, wishing he could look into her eyes one last time. He wanted to get lost in her pale blue eyes.

"Do you know where her parents live? Are they alive?" , Pamela insisted.

Jack looked at the doctor. Every question that came from her mouth was like a kick in his stomach.

"I don't know" he admitted.

He realized how little he knew about Renee. He knew nothing about her family. He didn't know whether her parents were alive or not. He had only spent two days with Renee, and they had spent most of that time fighting terrorists and gangsters. They never had the chance to talk about her family her childhood, her hopes and dreams.

And that stung badly.

"Sir, are you gonna be all right?", Pamela asked, feeling full of guilt.

Jack didn't answer. He couldn't imagine ever being all right again.

When his wife died, he nearly died of angst. It was one of the most horrible moments of his life. It felt like the pain would never subside. But then he met Audrey. Against all odds, he felt better. He never forgot his wife. But the pain subsided. He got his smile back. He was back on track. However, he lost Audrey too. Once again, he felt his life was over. He felt the world ended the morning he walked away from Heller's beach house. Yet, he survived. He made himself strong again somehow. And then, he met Renee Walker… and he suffered a devastating lost… again.

Didn't they say "misfortunes come in threes"?

As he left the operation room, he wondered…

Would he survive this lost?

Nurse Delia interrupted his thoughts.

"I don't know if this will fit. I got them from an intern", she said, handing him a clean shirt and a pair of black boots. It wasn't standard procedure to give clean clothes to family members of gunshots victims. But everybody felt so guilty for lying to him.

"Thank you" he said.

He took the items and sat on a bench, feeling overwhelmed.

He saw the medical team taking Renee's body away from OR 5.

He buried his face in his hands and cried once again. _I'll never see her beautiful face again_, he thought.

When he stopped crying, he made a promise to himself: One by one, those who took her away from him would pay.

**November 29****th**** 2022**

**Somewhere outside Moscow, Russia **

Jack and Belcheck arrived to a gorgeous cabin in the middle of nowhere. They walked into it.

Someone was sitting on a couch, waiting anxiously for them.

Jack widened his eyes and mouth, feeling astonished. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

He was looking at Renee Walker.

She stood up, feeling nervous and scared. She didn't know how Jack would react.

"Hey", she greeted him. A tiny smile appeared on her lips. She was glad to see him again. She had waited over four years for this moment. Her life for the past four years had been about finding him, dreaming of him, thinking of him and longing for his touch.

He didn't say anything at first. He was speechless. Was he dreaming? Was he looking at a ghost? Was he insane? Had the Russians given him powerful drugs?

He observed her silently, in disbelief.

She looked exactly like she did on their last day together. Her stunning auburn hair was tied up in a messy coil. She was thin and pale. She was wearing too much eyeliner. Yet… she remained the most beautiful woman on earth.

"Hey", he whispered, finally.

She got closer to him. Tentatively, she caressed the nasty bruise on the left side of his face. Her eyes moistened. She also caressed his beard. He obviously hadn't shave in prison.

"Are you okay?", she asked him, with concern.

"I'm fine", he replied firmly. He took her hand and squeezed it softly, as if to check that it was real. With his eyes nailed in hers, he touched her face. He wanted to make sure that Renee was actually there. "You are alive"

Renee nodded. She placed her hand on top of his, which was still resting on her cheek.

Becheck cleared his throat awkwardly. He could tell he wasn't wanted.

"Well, you two have a lot to talk about", he said. "I'll be back tomorrow"

"Thank you, Belcheck", Renee said, with a tiny smile of appreciation.

Renee and Jack were left alone.

"This isn't possible", he said, shaking his head in denial. "I saw your body. You were dead"

She took his hand and led him to the couch. They sat down.

"The doctors gave me something to lower my heart rate, so I would look dead", Renee explained. "After you said goodbye, they took me to another OR and saved my life"

"Why?", Jack asked sharply, as anger built inside him.

"There were a couple of CIA agents who were investigating Suvarov. They found out about the shooting and put me in a witness protection program", Renee said.

"Oh, God", Jack whispered. "They reported that a key witness said a Russian diplomat was actually a gangster". He stared at Renee in disbelief. "It was you"

"Yeah", Renee confirmed. "But they never revealed my name".

Jack stood up. He paced around the living room. He ran his hands through his head. The implications of what had happened were hitting him.

"Why didn't you tell me?", he abruptly yelled. "Do you know what I went through?". He hit the coffee table. He was livid. He had been through hell unnecessarily. "Do you, or those clowns at the CIA, know how much I suffered? A pain of massive proportions! I can't even…." His eyes moistened. He felt a lump on his throat. He felt cheated. "How could you do that to me?"

"I _couldn't _tell you!", Renee said with tears in her eyes. "I was in a coma for three days. When I woke up, you were gone. Nobody knew where you were. So, don't _you_ yell at me", she said angrily, pointing her index finger at him. "You killed all those people and disappeared, making it impossible for me to contact you".

Those words hit him hard. It had all been his fault. Overwhelmed, Jack took a seat in a nearby chair. He blinked rapidly.

"I didn't know where you were until I saw on the news that the Russians arrested you", she added, with a softer tone.

"It was all my fault", Jack said, feeling close to tears. "If I hadn't killed all those people, I could have gone to California, and you would have found me there. You would have told me everything. And my life wouldn't be ruined".

Renee got up from the couch, and kneeled next to Jack, resting her head on his lap.

"I'm so sorry", she repeated several times, in sobs. Her heart ached for him. "I ruined your life. If I had remembered Tokarev, none of this would have happened"

Jack kneeled on the floor next to her and held her tight while she cried.

"No. Nothing was your fault" he whispered as he held her. He stared into her eyes and lovingly wiped the tears with his fingers. "I chose to kill those people".

"For me" Renee whined, full of guilt.

"No. It wasn't for you", Jack stated categorically.

"Why did you do it then?", Renee asked.

Jack stood up and went to sit on the couch again. Renee took a seat next to him.

"I did it for me", Jack admitted somberly. "I did it because you made me happy and they took you away from me. And, damn it, I deserved to be happy. I served my country for decades. I sacrificed everything. I deserved to be happy. But they wouldn't let me. So I wanted revenge. I'm good at that. I thought it'd ease the pain". He sighed. "It didn't"

"I don't know what to say", Renee said.

"Then don't say anything at all", he whispered, remembering their last conversation in Washington DC. A tiny smile appeared on Renee's lips. They hugged once again. "Thank God you're alive"

"Thank _you_", she corrected him. She stood up, remembering something. "I have something for you"

She went into the bedroom and then re-emerged into the living room with a bunch of photographs in her hands. She handed one of them to Jack.

He looked at the first picture. It was a picture of Kim, with a big pregnant belly.

"That one was taken two years ago, before your grandson was born", Renee explained. She then handed another picture to him. "This one is more recent"

Jack looked at the most recent photo. In the picture, Kim had her hair longer, she was posing with Little Teri, who now had braces.

"Little Teri looks so big", Jack commented, all chocked up. He missed that lively kid.

Renee handed him another photo. It was a picture of a little boy, who was two years old. He was blonde and had pale green eyes.

"That's your grandson", Renee told him, softly. "His name is Jackson"

Jack couldn't say a world. He was so profoundly moved. His eyes sparkled with tears. He wanted to be with his family. But he couldn't. They wouldn't be safe.

"I lost them forever", he said, looking miserable.

Renee hugged him tightly, feeling terrible.

"I'm so sorry", she said.

For several minutes, Jack simply looked at the pictures of his family.

Later, Renee brought him a blanket, payamas, a towel, razors and a tooth brush.

"Jack, you should take a shower and go to bed", she suggested. "You must be exhausted"

"You look tired too", Jack commented, with genuine concern. He stood up and took the items she had brought for him. He put them over the couch.

"I'll be okay", Renee assured him, dismissively. She couldn't remember her last good night of sleep. "Anyway, you can take the bedroom. I'll sleep on the couch"

"No. No way", Jack objected with a firm tone. "I'll take the couch"

"Jack, you spent six months in a Russian prison", Renee pointed out. "You need a good night of sleep"

"Like you don't", he argued. He wouldn't give in.

Renee bit her lower lip and looked down. She then looked at Jack again. She slowly got closer to him.

"Maybe we should both take the bed", she whispered in his ear. She brushed her lips against his.

Jack kissed her back eagerly. But, soon, he started hearing loud voices in his head.

_"__There was another shooter and he got her, Jack"_

_"__Too much arterial damage and blood loss"_

_"__You're cursed, Jack"_

_"__Sooner or later you are going to get back in the game, and my daughter will pay the price. Just like your wife did". _

_"__I'm sorry. She didn't make it"_

_"__I can't be around you. Anytime I'm around you, people die"_

_ "__Everything you touch ends up dead. One way or another"_

_"__We lost Audrey"_

He stopped the kiss brusquely and walked away from Renee. _I have to protect her_, he thought.

"I can't do this", he said, with his voice and eyes full of sorrow. "We can't be together"

Renee's heart broke in tiny pieces. _He doesn't want me anymore_, she thought. _We've been apart for too long. He's over me now._

"I understand", she said, trying not to cry.

"You _don't _understand", he said. "I can't be with anybody. I destroy everything I touch. Everything I touch dies. My wife, Audrey, all my friends… and you are alive, but you almost died, while you were with me"

"That's crazy", Renee protested. "What happened to them, or to me, was not your fault"

"Don't you see? I'm meant to be alone", Jack stated, with a knot on his throat.

"Jack, please…", she said, as she got closer to him.

Their lips were merely inches from each other. Their foreheads touched.

Jack broke down in tears. He didn't want to reject her. But he had to, for her own good. It was excruciating.

"Please, Renee. Don't do this. Please. Just, go to the bedroom", he begged her, through his tears. She didn't move. "Please. Go to sleep. I need to be alone". He could see how hurt she was. Her lip was trembling. But he couldn't be with her. Not matter how badly he wanted to. "I'm serious! I _have _to be alone! I'm meant to be alone"

Renee decided to respect his wishes and went to the bedroom.

Jack sat down, buried his face in his hands and shed a few tears. He felt so powerless. He couldn't be with Renee, but he really wanted to. He was forced to stay away from her because he was cursed. He caused pain and sorrow to those who mattered to him.

He finally got up and went to take a much-needed shower.

Renee was lying in bed. Surrounded by darkness, in more than one way.

She felt the familiar pain on her left side.

She turned on the light and took the bottle of pills she had hidden on the pocket of her backpack.

She took four vicodins and swallowed them, without even taking a glass of water.

Soon, she was able to sleep.

**To be continued…. **

**Please, tell me what you think! Reviews are very appreciated. **


	3. What now, my love?

**Author's note: **THANK YOU!I truly appreciate all the support this story is getting.

You can friend me on facebook: Lara Garcia Costanzo. New friends are always welcome! But let know you know me from this site. I don't accept friend requests if I don't know how the person got my name. Thanks!

**Clarification**: Just like in my other story, I put Kamistan where Belarus is located in real life. Minsk (Belarus's capital) is about six hours away from Moscow. Kamistan's capital is _B'Dar_.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own 24, and I don't own the characters. I'm just doing this for fun, I'm not making any money with it.

**CHAPTER 03: **

**What now, my love?**

**January 1977**

**Mar del Plata, Argentina. **

The sun was shining in the coast of Argentina. Its rays reverberated on the surface of the ocean. Darlene Bauer was on vacations with her two sons. She was resting blissfully over a towel, as the sun bathed her. Her sunglasses protected her pale green eyes. Jack was lying next to her, while Graem read a book, under a tent.

"Isn't this beach beautiful, boys?", Darlene asked, marveled by her surroundings.

"We have beaches at home", Graem said, indifferently. "I want dad"

"Dad is too busy doing business in Buenos Aires", Darlene reminded him. "Did you want to spend the entire trip to Argentina in a hotel room, waiting for him? I thought it'd be nice to spend the weekend in Mar del Plata, just the three of us".

"It's nice, mom", Jack assured her, with a grin. He then gave Graem an angry look. "Don't be such a party pooper, Gray"

Darlene giggled like a little girl.

"Was dad upset when you told him we'd be here?", Graem asked, with concern. His mother didn't say anything. Darlene just looked down, uncomfortably.

At that moment, Jack felt alarmed.

"Mom, dad knows we came to Mar del Plata for the weekend, right?", he inquired.

"Of course he knows", Darlene assured him, with a smile. "I left him a note. We'll meet him in Buenos Aires on Monday".

Jack was satisfied with the explanation. His younger brother was alarmed.

"You mean you didn't ask permission?", Graem asked.

"I don't need permission", Darlene said. "This is our special weekend. Let's enjoy it". She stood up, with excitement written on her face. "Boys, I'll race you to the ocean"

She ran towards the ocean. Jack followed suit, so did Graem. The sand was extremely hot, when they reached the water it was a huge relief. Jack got there first, he ran into the ocean. Graem walked into the water slowly, to get his body used to the cold water. Jack and Darlene began splashing water at each other, playfully. Graem joined them. The three of them laughed loudly.

After a while, Darlene got hungry.

"I have an idea, boys", she said. "What if we go and eat tons of _dulce de leche_ ice-cream?"

"Yeah!", Jack cheered. He loved that sweet argentine treat very much.

"Ice-cream instead of lunch?", Graem asked, skeptical.

"Why not?", Darlene asked. "This is our special weekend".

She giggled like an excited little girl.

**November 29****th**** 2022**

**Somewhere outside Moscow, Russia **

Jack managed to get four hours of sleep. The couch was comfortable. He had definitely slept in much worse places in the past. But he didn't sleep well because of the thoughts haunting his mind. What should be his next move now that he had to hide from the Russians? If they found out he was alive, they would kill all the people he cared about, including Renee. He wanted to be with her, but he couldn't. Keeping her safe was more important than his desires.

He was, eventually, trapped in a nightmare. In the horrible dream, Cheng was immortal, and he put his own head back in its place. Then, Audrey's spirit appeared and yelled at Jack for failing to protect her. "_I was counting on you_", she cried. "_I thought of you as a hero. But you sent somebody else to rescue me, and that person screwed up! How could you abandon me?_". After her, Teri appeared and screamed "_You slept with Nina and she killed me! How could you not know she was evil? My second child was never born because of you_". A crying baby appeared in Teri's arms. Finally, Michelle Dressler appeared, she was frowning and holding an infant. "_I'm dead just because I knew you were alive. You were my friend, so I saved your life and that's why I died, with my baby inside me"_

Jack woke up gasping for air. His skin was moistened by drops of sweat.

Still troubled by the dream, he headed to the bathroom and washed his face.

He had to get dress. But the only clothes he had belonged to the dead man who Belcheck killed to make him pose as Jack. It was creepy. Jack obviously needed new clothes.

When he went back to the living room, he noticed that Renee had left a new pair of jeans, a t-shirt with long sleeves and a pine green sweater. A tiny smile appeared on his lips. She had clearly thought about everything. He put the new clothes on. The clothes were a little big; since Renee didn't know when she bought them that he had lost a lot of weight. But they worked just fine.

There was a snowstorm raging outside. The wind was whistling loudly as snow fell from the sky. The Russian winter was cruel and long. But inside the cabin it wasn't cold, since it had central heating.

In the kitchen, Renee was making coffee. She was wearing jeans and a red sweater.

"Hey", Jack greeted her, softly.

"Hey", Renee replied, without looking at him. She felt embarrassed, because her attempt to sleep with her had failed. "Want coffee? We have coffee and bagels"

"Okay", Jack accepted, seeing the bagels and cream cheese over the kitchen table. He sat down by the table and watched her make coffee.

Once the beverage was done, Renee gave Jack a mug with coffee and took one for herself.

"We won't be able to leave today", she informed. "The roads are closed because of the storm. Belcheck will come pick us up tomorrow, if possible"

"Pick us up to go where?", Jack asked, putting some cheese on his bagel.

"He and I will take you to Kamistan. We are five hours away from B'Dar", Renee said. She took a sip of her coffee. "Once there, you can go wherever you want. I don't recommend staying in Kamistan. The Russians have many spies there"

"I know", Jack said.

They drank coffee and ate the bagels in silence. It was an awkward silence. Neither one of them knew how to act around the other.

"So, where do you live now?", he asked, to break the ice that separated them.

"In Santa Barbara", she answered, rather coldly. "The people from the Witness Protection Program put me there"

"I take it you are not supposed to be here", Jack said.

"No. I'm not", Renee confirmed. A couple of agents checked on her from time to time. She had disobeyed them.

"You shouldn't have come, Renee. It's not safe", he told her, with concern in his pale green eyes.

"I couldn't let you rot in that prison", she affirmed. Tentatively, she took his hand. "You didn't abandon me in New York". Her eyes moistened as images of that fateful day came to her mind. "You were wonderful to me"

Feeling uncomfortable, she stood up and started washing the coffee mugs. It was difficult for her to accept that Jack didn't want to be with her anymore.

"Renee, we have to talk about what happened last night", he said.

She straightened her back and turned around, to face him.

"Nothing happened last night", she reminded him, with sadness in her eyes. "I wanted to be with you, but you didn't want to be with me. That's okay. It's your choice"

"I need you to understand why we can't be together", Jack said. Renee grabbed a second cup of coffee and retook her seat by the table. "What we had in New York was beautiful. It meant a lot to me". He swallowed, feeling on the verge of tears. "But now I see that I _have_ to be alone forever. I hurt those who are close to me. Everything I touch ends up dead"

Renee's heart ached for Jack. She could see the pain in his eyes. Her heart was aching for him.

"So, what now?", she asked, wiping a tear that fell from her eye. "You'll just disappear and spend the rest of your life alone?"

"I don't have a choice", he replied, almost whispering.

"You DO have a choice, Jack", Renee said, holding his hand. "We could disappear together. We could start a new life somewhere". She moved her chair closer to his. "We could try to have a normal life, together"

Jack caressed her cheek and stared into her pale blue eyes. He was seriously tempted.

"Renee, I want to be with you more than anything in this world", he admitted. He took her hand and kissed it. His voice began breaking. "But we would always be in danger. We'd have to live hiding from the Russians".

"I have to hide anyway, with or without you. I testified against very powerful people. They would kill me, if they knew I'm alive", Renee said, with resignation. She softly caressed the bruise on Jack's cheek. She sighed and rested her forehead on Jack's. "I'm lonely and scared". They were both in tears. "I don't want to face this cold and crazy world without you"

Tears came to Jack's eyes. He was profoundly moved. He couldn't fight his desires anymore.

"I'm here for you… _with_ you", he whispered.

He slowly brushed his lips against hers. Soon, the kiss became more passionate.

He hoisted her up and carried her to the bedroom. They undressed each other as fast as they could. They were so hungry for each other. They had spent four long years apart. They didn't want to wait any longer.

The sound of the storm got mixed with their moans while their bodies joined with delight.

When the lovemaking was over, they lied in bed, face to face.

"You're so beautiful", he whispered. He put a lock of her hair behind her ear and looked at her face, marveled by how gorgeous she was. "I wanted to tell you that, the first time we were together. But I never had the chance. I spent the last four years feeling horrible because I didn't tell you how beautiful you are".

"Oh, Jack", she whispered, feeling moved. She kissed him eagerly. "There was so much I wanted to say to you"

"Now we have time", he said. He noticed she had a new tattoo. She had the Japanese symbols 七転び八起き tattooed under her belly bottom. He brushed the symbols with his lips. "What does this tattoo means?".

"N_anakorobi yaoki", _Renee answered. "It means: _Fall seven times, stand up eight_"

"I like that idea", Jack said, caressing her cheek. "So, you have the symbols, the beautiful rose, anything else?"

She turned around and showed him a red heart, right above her butt. Jack was fascinated by it and kissed it.

"Love it", he whispered.

She rolled over and kissed his lips.

"You have some new tattoos as well", she pointed out, caressing a sword he had tattooed on his right shoulder. Then, she touched the barbed wired band on his left bicep. Finally, she saw the Icelandic Runes tattooed on the inside of his forearm. "What does this mean?"

"_I trust you to kill me_", he replied. "It's to remind me that people will always come after me. I can't avoid it. So, I may as well continue doing what I feel it's right".

"I like it", Renee said, with a small smile.

"After they told me you died, I left the US on a ship that went to Iceland. I stayed there a couple of days and got this tattoo", he told her.

Renee kissed him and pulled him closer to him. She giggled when her feet touched his and her skin brushed his socks.

"Why did you keep your socks on?", she asked.

Jack's features darkened. He moved away slightly.

"I don't know", he lied.

"Take them off", Renee said, trying to remove them herself.

"I can't", Jack affirmed, stopping her.

"What's the big deal?", Renee asked, with confusion.

Jack decided to tell her the truth. Or, at least, part of it.

"One of the Russian guards cut off two of my toes. I didn't want you to see it", he admitted, with deep sadness in his eyes. "It's not pretty".

Renee was horrified. She couldn't help but to feel indirectly responsible for Jack's pain.

"I'm so sorry", she said. Her eyes sparkled with tears. "You went through hell in that prison. You would have never ended up there if I hadn't gotten shot"

"Hey, don't blame yourself", he whispered, and kissed her forehead. "I told you yesterday, I chose to murder all those people because they made me miserable. It never occurred to me that killing them would ruin my life. I thought my life was already ruined"

He tightened their embrace. They were both in tears, thinking about the happiness that had been taken away from them.

"Now we can start a new life, together", Renee said hopefully, and kissed him. "Where do you want us to live?"

"There's a city I like in the coast of Argentina, called Mar del Plata. It's a few hours away from Buenos Aires", Jack said. "My mom took us there, when I was eleven years old. We had an amazing weekend, just me, my mom and my brother". His face lighted up when he remembered the weekend in Mar del Plata.

"Really?", she asked, with a smile. She was glad to see Jack's face lighting up.

"Yeah", Jack said, nodding. "Of course, now I know that we went to Argentina because my father did business with the dictators that ruled that country back then"

"Oh", Renee said, not really knowing what to say.

"Anyway, I was still quite innocent back then", he sighed melancholically, missing that innocence. "That weekend in Mar del Plata with my mom was truly perfect", he stated. "I'd love to live there".

"Okay", Renee accepted, with a mixture of excitement and fear. "I don't know much about that city, but we can find out".

"I don't know much either", Jack admitted, chuckling. It fell so crazy, going to a place they knew virtually nothing about. "I haven't been there in forty five years"

"Do you speak Spanish?", she asked.

"Yeah. You?"

"Pretty well", Renee answered. She had studied Spanish and Russian for several years. "What would we do there?", she asked, with some concern. "I want us to have normal jobs. We have to stay away from problems"

"I know", he agreed.

"Jack, I mean it", Renee affirmed with a warning tone. "I know that, in the last four years, you have been working undercover for criminal organizations, trying to bring them down. But that _has_ to stop. It's too dangerous. The Russians could easily find you if you start calling people's attention. We have to fly below the radar"

"Don't worry. I want normalcy", he assured her. "I want to live peacefully, with you"

"Good", she said. Deep down, she was concerned. Jack wasn't the type of person who was happy living a normal life. But she pushed those concerns to the back of her mind. "So, what can we do?"

"I don't know", Jack admitted, with a soft chuckle. "What did you do in Santa Barbara?"

"I was a lifeguard and a swimming coach", she told him.

"I guess you could do the same in Mar del Plata", Jack said.

"We'll figure things out, together", she assured him.

**TO BE CONTINUED… **


	4. You did not desert me

**Author's note: ** Thanks for the support! You guys are amazing. For those who don't know, Mar del Plata is the city where I was born and raised. Since _Janee_ will be living there in my AU, I'll be sharing information about my country and my city. I hope you enjoy learning about different countries. By the way, is there anybody from Argentina reading this? Where are you guys from?

BTW, I've just read "Underground", the comics that are about the four years between Day 8 and LAD. So, I have just found out that Jack had a girlfriend called Sofiya while living in Ukraine.

Dear Cole: Thanks for the review! I admit that you're right. Kamistan is probably Iran or Iraq. (Islamic Republic of Kamistan. IRK. In Spanish, Iraq is spelled Irak). But I wanted Kamistan to be on the border with Russia to generate more conflict between those countries. Specially, because in my other story the war between Russia and Kamistan takes a much bigger role. Anyway, in my AU, Kamistan is culturally like Iran, but located in Belarus. Please, continue reviewing! I appreciate it.

**Chapter 4:**

**YOU DID NOT DESERT ME, MY BROTHERS IN ARMS**

**November 30th 2022**

**Somewhere outside Moscow, Russia**

At 5 AM Jack woke up from, yet another, horrible nightmare. It was about his time in a Chinese prison and in a Russian one. Audrey appeared in the dream and told him that he deserved being tortured.

He looked at Renee, who was by his side, lost in her own dream. He wondered what her dreams were about.

Realizing he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, he got out of bed and headed to the kitchen. He made himself a tea. He sat down by the kitchen table, took Renee's laptop, and read the New York Times on the internet.

He found out that Caleb Holloman was now the President of the United States, the first Jewish President of his country. Holloman had been Heller's Vice President. Jack deduced that Heller resigned over his Alzheimer. Holloman was in a lot of danger for being Jewish. Many neo-Nazi groups wanted him dead.

Then he read an online Russian newspaper. There was a headline that caught his attention: "_Jack Bauer,_ _The American Butcher, escapes prison_".

His features darkened. He hated such nickname. Was he truly a psychopath, like the media said?

After reading the news for two hours, he went back to bed. He lay awake next to Renee and watched her sleep.

Outside the cabin, the storm had stopped. A pale light shined through the window.

He still couldn't believe she was actually alive.

At eight AM, Renee woke up and opened her eyes. She saw Jack, staring at her with adoration written all over his face.

"Good morning", he said.

"Good morning", she replied, with a smile on her face. She pulled him closer to her and kissed him. She looked at her watch. It was 8 AM. "How long have you been watching me sleep?"

"Not long", he lied.

She rested her head on his chest and put her leg on top of his. He ran his fingers through her hair. She enjoyed his proximity for a moment.

Her hand began shaking, slightly. Suddenly, she was in pain again. She needed her vicodin. She had her pills in her purse, which was on the couch in the living room. How to get them without Jack knowing?

"I need to go to the bathroom", she said. She left the cozy bed and got dressed. She took her purse to the bathroom and took three pills.

Jack got dressed and headed to the kitchen. He began making breakfast. He found flour, milk and eggs to make pancakes.

"So, Cal Holloman is the president", he commented, once Renee joined him in the kitchen.

She got settled in front of the computer, to read the news.

"Yep", Renee confirmed. "Heller resigned two months after…" She stopped. She was going to say _after_ _his daughter died_. But Jack didn't need her to complete the sentence. He looked down, sadly.

"What happened with Mark Boudreau?", he asked.

"Heller pardoned him, before resigning", Renee answered. Jack stared at her in disbelief for a moment. "Boudreau risked his life to help, at the end"

Jack wasn't happy about it. He sighed with resignation.

"I guess it's only fair", he admitted reluctantly. "After all, I got a pardon from Heller, and I killed several people. Boudreau deserved a second chance too"

"I heard he's now writing a tell-all book about what happened in London", Renee said, while Jack handed her a cup of coffee. "Thank you". She took a sip of the black beverage.

"I don't know how you take your coffee", Jack commented. "I hope it's okay like this"

"It is", Renee assured. Her coffee was black. "I drink a lot of black coffee, very strong, with sweetener. But I also love a good cappuccino".

A wide smile appeared on Jack's face. He served the pancakes, with honey, and sat down by the table with a cup of coffee of his own.

"I like knowing that", he said. "When I thought you were dead, the fact that I knew so little about you made everything even worse". He ate a little bit of his pancakes. "Do you like pancakes?"

"Who doesn't?", Renee replied, making Jack chuckle.

"You know? In Argentina we can eat pancakes with _Dulce de leche_. Those are amazing", he told her

"I can't wait to start a life there, with you", she admitted, as she held her hand.

They continued having breakfast in silence for a moment.

"I've been reading the news", Jack said. "They still haven't found the body we planted. They think I'm alive"

"They'll find it soon enough", Renee said.

Then, Jack brought up a topic that had been on his mind since the day before.

"Renee, how much money did you spend to rescue me?", he asked. Renee remained silent. "It must have been a lot, since you had to bribe the guards and the lav guy"

"That's not important", she affirmed.

"I need to know how much you spent", he said.

"Don't worry about that", Renee told him.

"Please, tell me", he begged.

"Six millions", she admitted, reluctantly.

Jack rested his back on the back of the chair and widened his eyes. It was more money than he could spend in a lifetime.

"I… I don't have that kind of money. I'll never be able to pay you back", he said, feeling mortified. He couldn't even look at Renee.

"I don't care", she assured him.

"I care", he affirmed.

Renee held his hand and squeezed it softly. Jack looked sick.

"Please, let it go", she begged him. "I was more than happy to do it".

"You didn't have to do it", he said, with a severe tone. He'd never wanted Renee to sacrifice so much for him. He didn't feel worthy. "I was willing to face the consequences for my actions. I was willing to sacrifice my freedom for Chloe and my family".

"I know", Renee assured. "But I didn't want to leave you there"

"How did you even get that kind of money?", he asked.

"My grandfather, Archer Walker, was very rich", Renee answered. "My dad inherited his money and invested it well. I inherited the money after my dad died"

Jack was extremely surprised. Renee didn't act like the average rich woman. Then again, he didn't act like someone who grew up rich either.

"Yesterday, you were talking about getting a job. Do you even need a salary?", he inquired, feeling puzzled.

"I don't. But I want a job. I'm not gonna sit down and do nothing. I want to work"

Jack understood her. His admiration for her grew even bigger.

"I made a lot of money when I worked undercover with criminal organizations", he told her. "But before I turned myself in, I sent most of it to Kim. I set some apart though, just in case I ever needed it"

After breakfast, Belcheck appeared.

"Hi", he greeted them.

"Hey", Jack greeted him back, happy to see him.

Being a man of few words, Belcheck went straight to the point. He handed Jack a suitcase with some clothes and a lot of money.

"Here's the money you set apart. Two hundredth thousand dollars", Belcheck told him.

"Thank you", Jack said. "Take 50 thousand for yourself"

"That's not gonna happen, Jack", Belcheck said, firmly. "I don't want money. I helped you because you saved my life, not because I wanted money"

"But I want to show my gratitude", Jack protested.

"Unnecessary. I already know you are grateful", Belcheck assured him. "Besides, I don't even need it. I'm working for a group of people who pay very well"

Jack knew better than to make questions about such group.

"Okay. Thank you very much", he said. "If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask"

"Mr. Belcheck, would you like a cup of coffee?", Renee offered.

"I'm not _Mr._ Belckeck. I'm just Belcheck. Like Madonna or Cher", he corrected her. "And, yes, I would like some coffee, please"

Renee smiled and went to make coffee, while the men sat down by the table.

"Do you have the fake IDs?", Jack asked.

"Yes. For both of you", Belcheck replied, handing him a big envelope.

"Thanks", he said, as he opened the envelopes and looked at the fake documents. There were birth certificates, passports, driver licenses and IDs.

"You are Jake Geller, and Renee is Alexia Jones", Belcheck said, as Renee handed him a cup of coffee.

"Better than the name the people from the WPP gave me", Renee said. "Rosary Snow". She rolled her eyes. "Do I look like a Rosary to you?"

"Not at all", Jack replied, with a smirk. "Alexia suits you".

He caressed her cheek and looked into her eyes.

"I think I'll go by Alex", she said. "Or should I go by Lexi?"

"I like Alex", Jack replied, and brushed her lips with his.

Becheck stared down at his coffee, a bit uncomfortable with such display of affection.

Renee put on a short blonde wig and glasses. Jack put on a black wig and wore glasses as well. Besides, he had a beard.

An hour later, they were on their way to Kamistan. Belcheck was driving; Jack was in the passenger's seat, while Renee was in the back seat.

"Where are you going to live?", Belcheck asked.

"In Mar del Plata, Argentina", Jack replied, knowing he could trust his friend.

"I actually know a guy in Buenos Aires, Sergio Mendoza. He's a very successful business man", Belcheck said.

"He's in the drug business?", Jack guessed, because his friend normally knew drug kingpins everywhere.

"He can help you find a job", Belcheck told him.

"We are not gonna work for a drug dealer", Renee affirmed, instantly. "We are supposed to stay away from problems"

"You don't have to work for him", Belcheck assured them. "But he's very well connected. He could help you get a legitimate job".

"Okay. We are gonna need all the help we can get", Jack said.

At noon, they stopped at an old diner, to have lunch. The place was small and plain. None of them liked Russian food. Fortunately, the restaurant also offered burgers and fries.

"I'd like a cheese burger with fries", Renee said, looking at Jack. "Please, honey, order for me while I go to the bathroom"

"All right", Jack agreed. He watched her as she walked away, with fascination written on his face. "It's the first time she calls me _honey_"

"She's perfect for you", Belcheck said, approvingly.

"Belcheck, you may be a man of few words, but you always speak wisely", Jack said, with a smile. Then, his grin faded away. "I just don't think _I'm_ perfect for her. I put everybody I care about in danger"

Belcheck didn't know what to say, so he didn't say anything.

"What about the woman you dated in Ukraine?", Belcheck asked.

"That's over for good. I'm with Renee now", Jack said. "Sofiya probably thinks I'm dead. And, honestly, it's better that way".

A waiter finally took their order.

A few minutes later, Renee went back to the table, after secretly taking two vicodins.

"Jack, would you like to talk to Chloe?", Renee asked. "Once we are in Argentina, we won't be able to contact anybody, because it'd be too risky"

"I know. I'll skype with her from Kamistan", Jack said.

"What about Kim?", Renee inquired. "Are you going to tell her you're alive?"

"I don't know", Jack admitted, feeling torn. "Last time I faked my death, her life fell completely apart. She lost her boyfriend and her step daughter. She tried to kill herself. I don't want her to feel any pain. But I don't want to put her in danger either"

Renee took his hand with compassion in her eyes. She could see how troubled he felt.

"You don't have to decide anything right now", she said.

They left the restaurant and headed to B'Dar. They had to pay a trunk driver to smuggle them through the border. Belcheck didn't have to hide, but Renee and Jack had to get inside big boxes to get into Kamistan. They could hardly breathe.

Once they reached their destination, they headed straight to the Airport.

"There aren't any direct flights to Argentina", Jack informed them. "We'll have to take a flight to Sao Pablo and transfer to a flight to Buenos Aires there"

"When is the next flight to Sao Plablo?", Renee asked.

"Tomorrow at 9 am", Jack replied.

"I'm staying with you till then", Belcheck said. "Just in case you need anything"

"Okay. Thank you", Jack agreed.

They found a hotel with two rooms available. It was an old yellow building, near the airport. Belcheck booked two adjoining rooms using one of his many fake identities. He stayed in his room, watching TV, to give the couple privacy.

Renee and Jack went to their room. It was small and simple. The white walls needed desperately some paint and the furniture was very old. But it was clean and had a decent internet connection.

At three PM, Jack sat by a desk, planning to use Renee's laptop to skype with Chloe.

"I'll go get some coffee, honey", Renee said, to give Jack privacy during his conversation with his dear friend.

After Renee left, Jack started a video-call with his friend.

Chloe appeared on the screen. Her hair was still black, but it was much shorter and even. She was wearing suit pans and a shirt. Her makeup was normal. She did not longer look like a punk. She was getting ready for work, since it was 6AM in Boston, where she currently lived.

"Hi, Jack!", she greeted enthusiastically. "It's great to see you"

"It's great to see you too, Chloe", he said, with a smile. "You look great"

"Thanks", she said. Sadly, she couldn't return the compliment because Jack looked too thin and had bruises on his face. "Where are you now?"

"Kamistan. And you?", Jack asked. "Still living in London?"

"No. I moved to Boston", Chloe replied. "After Heller pardoned me, I got a job at MIT. I'm a professor there"

"That's great", Jack approved, feeling happy for his friend.

"Jack, I called Kim yesterday. I had to tell her you're dead", she said, wrinkling her nose awkwardly.

"How did she take the news?", Jack inquired, with concern.

"She was very upset, obviously", Chloe answered. "But it's better that way. She'll be safer"

"I know", he whispered.

"I'm gonna check on her and send you reports from time to time", she promised.

"I truly appreciate that", Jack said.

He often felt so alone. But now he realized that he had good friends. The realization made him feel warm inside.

"How's Kate Morgan doing?", Jack asked.

"She left the CIA, she felt guilty because it was her fault that Audrey died", Chloe explained.

"It was _my_ fault, Chloe", Jack affirmed. "I could have saved her, but I chose to go after Cheng instead"

"Many people were partially responsible, not just you", Chloe said awkwardly, with her normal bluntness. "Cheng had her killed. Kate screwed up big time. Mark worked with the Russians for a while, which ultimately led to Audrey's death. Secret Service was useless…"

"I know", Jack whispered. His eyes moistened.

"So, what are your plans? Where will you go?" Chloe asked.

"To Mar del Plata, Argentina", he replied. "Renee's coming with me. She and I will live together"

Chloe wasn't surprised. She could easily tell Jack and Renee had a special bond. The morning of the shooting, she wasn't at all surprised when Renee answered his cellphone. Afterwards, she saw him lose his mind when they took his lover away from him.

"I'm happy for you, Jack", Chloe said. "She's the right woman for you"

"I think so too", he admitted.

"I won't be able to visit you. The Russians might be watching me", she said, getting tearful. It made her feel sad that she and Jack never got to hang up like normal friends. They had only hung up a little while Jack lived in New York.

"I know", he whispered, feeling sad because he'd never see his best friend again.

"But I'll set up a secure internet connection, so we can skype", she said.

"Good. I'd like that", Jack said, giving her a half-smile.

"Well, I've got to go", Chloe told him, with a knot on her throat. "Thank you for turning yourself in for me. You are a good friend. I knew you wouldn't abandon me".

"I was happy to do it", Jack assured her. "And thank _you_. I know you helped make my rescue possible"

"It was the least I could do", she said. "Bye, Jack. Please, take good care of yourself"

"You too", he told her.

**To be continued…. **

**Please, I want to hear from you guys. Send me some reviews. **


	5. Chapter 5: Welcome to Your Life

**Author's note: **Sorry! It took me forever to update. I hope everybody is still there. I was very busy with my novel and work. And I was going through some personal stuff.

This will be a long chapter, to make up for the lack of updates.

Thanks for your support! Reviews are always welcome! I love hearing from you.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the characters in this story, except the ones that'll appear in Argentina. Jack and Renee belong to the people who made 24. I'm not making any money with using them.

**Chapter 5:**

**Welcome to your life**

**DECEMBER 1****st**** 2022**

**B'Dar, Kamistan**

**6.30 AM **

Renee was reading the news on the internet, while Jack made their suitcases. They had to be at the airport at seven AM, since their plane to Sao Pablo left at nine.

While checking a Russian newspaper, she saw a headline which said: _The_ _North-American Butcher Presumed Dead_.

She closed the window in the computer before Jack could see such offensive nickname. She was sure he knew about it, but she didn't want to rub it on his face.

"They found the body", she announced gravely. She was talking about the body that had been planted to fool the Russians. "They are still investigating to confirm that it's you".

Jack took a seat next to her and grabbed her hand, with a somber expression on his face.

"Renee, if everything goes south, I won't let them take me alive"

She took her eyes from the computer and stared at him with anguish written in her face. She swallowed, knowing it'd be pointless to argue.

"Jack…", she whispered, shaking her head.

"The people I care about won't be safe until I'm dead for real"

She couldn't truthfully refute that argument, no matter how badly she wanted to. Wishing to avoid the issue, she gently placed a finger on his lips.

"Let's not talk about this now. Everybody is safe at this point. Okay?"

"Okay"

A few minutes later, his friend Belcheck joined them. Jack handed him a digital camera he had bought the day before.

"Would you help me out?", Jack asked. "I changed my mind about telling Kim. I decided to make a video for her"

"Of course, I'll do it", the Serbian agreed.

"Are you sure, Jack?", Renee asked with concern.

"Yeah", Jack replied, nodding and pressing his lips together. "The last time I faked my death she was truly devastated. I don't want her to be sad"

"Okay", Renee accepted.

As she observed quietly behind the camera and Belcheck recorded, Jack took a seat and began speaking.

"Hi, Kim. I want you to know that I'm alive. Once again I was forced to fake my own death. I'm so sorry, sweetheart", Jack said with his eyes clouded by tears. "This time I wanted to tell you the truth, because I don't want you to feel sad". He gestured for Renee to sit next to him. She awkwardly sat next to Jack. "Renee Walker is alive too. So, I'm not alone. Don't worry about me. I can't tell you where we'll be, but we'll be okay". He gave the camera a tiny smile and squeezed Renee's hand. "Sweetheart, I don't need to tell you that nobody can know about this. You can only tell Steve, because keeping a secret from your husband can destroy your marriage. I know a lot about that". He swallowed his angst as the memories of his wife flooded his mind. He had been dishonest with Teri, and it made him feel guilty. "I want you and your family to be happy. I love you more than anything, and I miss you so much. I'll always miss you. Hug your beautiful kids for me"

Knowing Jack was done talking, Belcheck turned the camera off.

Jack had tears in his eyes. He couldn't prevent them. His family meant everything to him, and now he'd never see them again. He'd never meet his grandson. He'd never go to the zoo with little Teri again.

Renee could see Jack's sadness, but didn't know what to do about it. Finally, she held him in a tight embrace.

At the airport, Jack and Renee said goodbye to Belcheck and thanked him profusely once again for everything he had done. Afterwards, they boarded the plane that would take them to Brazil.

A pretty stewardess led them to their seats. They had decided to flight in first class, to have more privacy. Emirates Airlines provided luxurious private suits. They were relieved they could book one, for they had a lot to talk about and it was paramount that nobody overheard them.

"This is amazing. With my dad we traveled first class, but it was nothing like this" Jack commented, feeling dazed, and slightly uncomfortable. His entire life had been about rejecting the comforts and luxuries his rich family provided. However, he understood Renee and him needed privacy. Besides, nobody would look for him in first class.

"I know", Renee said, also in awe. She wasn't stranger to first class either. But this was, by far, the most luxurious plane she had ever seen.

The plane took off, and Kamistan became a distant land.

"People will ask us why we moved to Argentina", Renee pointed out. "We have to think of an answer"

"True", Jack agreed. He bit his lower lip, trying to figure out an answer. Why would a couple of Americans choose to live in Argentina? After a few minutes of pondering, the answer came to him. "We could say that we want a less stressful way of life, and we like a society that's centered around friends and family, rather than just work"

"Good", she approved, with a smile. "It'll actually be nice, having time for each other"

Jack smiled back at her and caressed her cheek.

"All my life, I've put work before my family. Now you are all the family I have. I want _you_ to be my priority"

"I'm glad. Because you have been my priority since the moment I saw you in New York", Renee admitted, with her voice full of emotion.

He pulled her closer to him, for a very passionate kiss.

"I want you here and now", Jack whispered.

"Me too", she said. "But there are people, right outside"

"They can't see us. This is a private booth", he reminded her, brushing her bare shoulder with his lips. "Don't you wanna join the mile high club?"

"I'm already a member", Renee whispered in his ear, caressing his tight. She had, several years ago, made love with Larry Moss in an airplane's bathroom, when they had to travel together for work.

Jack widened his eyes, feeling surprised and aroused at the same time. He liked how Renee had a fun, crazy side.

"It'd be a first for me", he admitted.

With a mischievous grin, Renee locked the door of their booth and removed her shoes and pants. Then, she slowly took off Jack's pants while they kissed. They turned his seat into a bed and she positioned herself on top of him. Pretty soon, they were both ready to join their bodies with consuming hunger.

Thirteen hours later, the plane landed safely in Sao Pablo. It was ten PM in Kamistan, but eleven AM in Brazil. It was twelve PM in Mar del Plata, their final destination.

"Our flight to Buenos Aires leaves in four hours", Renee said, adjusting her watch to the new time zone.

"I'm exhausted", Jack commented, yawning, as he put their two suitcases in a cart. He had very few things, since he had spent the last six months in a Russian prison. He had lost most of his things when he turned himself in. His suitcase only had some clothes and toiletries they bought in Kamistan. His carry-on had a new laptop and a cellphone. Renee didn't have much with her either, which surprised him. "I know why I'm traveling light", he said. "But, why are you?"

"I didn't know I would move to another country with you", she replied. "I figured we'd talk and then I'd go back to Santa Barbara"

Jack put his arms around her waist.

"You really thought I'd let you go?"

"I was hoping you wouldn't. But I'm not presumptuous", she said. "Things can change after four years apart"

"My feelings for you never changed. Not one bit", he affirmed.

Feeling moved, she pulled him closer to her for a tender kiss.

The flight to Buenos Aires went smoothly. They arrived to their destination at three PM, Argentina time. They were welcomed by a very large city with many tall buildings and packed highways. A black taxi, with a yellow ceiling, took them to their hotel.

Jack and Renee were immensely relieved when they entered their hotel room, which had air conditioner. Buenos Aires was unbearably hot in December. The city could reach 108 F°.

"We have to meet Sergio Mendoza tomorrow", Renee reminded him, while checking the mini-fridge in the room for a cold drink. She was glad to see a pepsi cola.

"Yeah", Jack said, grabbing a chocolate from the mini-fridge and taking a bite. "I think I'll go to bed now"

Renee checked her watch. They were still in Kamistan time, which meant it was one am for them.

"We should adjust to Argentina time"

"Maybe just a nap"

"All right. But I'll take a shower first. I feel gross", she said, realizing that her t-shirt was damped with sweat.

"Can I join you?", he asked, with a mischievous grin.

Renee smiled and undressed herself, while Jack removed his own clothes. While kissing with hunger, they headed to the shower. As the warm water run through their bodies, he rubbed a soapy sponge all over her body. She did the same to him. They also washed each other's hair, very gently. Once they couldn't restrain themselves anymore, he got inside of her and they climaxed together.

Later, they were relaxing in bed, together. She was resting her head on his chest as he caressed her long hair.

"Do you realize that we had sex ten times in the last three days?", she asked, feeling impressed. She couldn't remember the last time she was in a relationship with such passion. It probably was with her late fiancé, Jimmy, back in the year 2000. Or, maybe, with her married lover Parker, around eight years after Jimmy was killed on 9-11.

"Yeah", he replied, chuckling. "We are a naughty couple"

"We should make a sex video", she joked.

Jack raised an eyebrow.

"You'd like that?"

"No way! I was kidding", Renee said, hitting him playfully on the chest.

"Okay", Jack chuckled. "I'm a grandpa anyway. I should probably behave", he joked. They laughed together. He then caressed her cheek. "I haven't laughed like this in many years. Thanks for being here, sweetheart".

"Thank you for letting me be here", she said.

They woke up from a long nap at seven thirty PM. The moonlight shined through a window.

Jack headed to the bathroom, washed his face, and looked at himself on the mirror. He didn't like his beard. He hadn't shaved in six months, since he had spent that time in a Russian prison. His hair was, also, pretty long.

"Is something wrong, honey?", Renee asked, since Jack was looking at the mirror with a frown. She put her arms around his waist, from behind.

"Nah. I'm just thinking about shaving", he said.

"You shouldn't", she said, with a somber expression on her face. "It'd be easier for people to recognize you"

"That's true", Jack conceded, with a deep sigh. "It's just… I only let my beard grow when I'm in prison or when I'm seriously depressed. After my wife died, I didn't shave for a year. When I thought you were dead, I also spent a long-long time without shaving". He took Renee's hand and kissed it. "But now I'm free and feeling good".

"I'm glad", Renee said, with a smile. Her face, then, grew serious. "But you have to keep your beard anyway. It's important"

"I know", he agreed, reluctantly.

"If it makes you feel better, I like it", she assured him, brushing his beard with her fingers.

After giving his beard a short-boxed shape and getting dressed, they headed to the hotel's dining room, for diner. While they waited for their orders, Jack grabbed a newspaper with a picture of himself on the cover. The headline said: _The North-American Butcher is still at large_. Under the headline, it said: _Russian government offers millionaire reward for his apprehension_.

He showed Renee the newspaper. She frowned.

"I hate that nickname", Jack muttered. It hurt him more than he wanted to admit.

"I know, honey", Renee said, holding his hand. "Try to ignore it. You don't deserve to be called that. I know you, and I know you have a good heart"

"But I killed all those people", he reminded her, looking away from her, with a somber expression on his face.

"You are way better than your worst actions", she affirmed, in an attempt to comfort him.

On another table, three tourists from Spain were also having diner. They looked at Jack with surprise. He looked familiar to them.

"Renee, I don't like the way those people are looking at me", Jack whispered in her ear. "We have to go"

They headed rapidly to their rooms. Jack sat on the edge of the bed and held his head with frustration.

"This isn't going to work", he said. "Even with the beard, someone will figure out I'm the North-American butcher"

Renee sat next to him and held his hand.

"You're not a butcher", she assured him, with a firm tone. "And this will work. There were Nazis who hid here, without getting caught, for decades. You just need a make-over". She stood up and kissed his lips. "Wait here. I'll be right back".

He watched the news while waiting. The media showed a picture of him with very short, blonde, hair and without a beard.

After several minutes, Renee came back, carrying hair dye.

"I brought several colors, so you can choose one", she said. "What about black?"

"I don't know", he replied, examining the box. The guy on the box looked good with ebony hair. But Jack didn't like it for himself. "Let me see the others".

After a lot of thinking, he chose a carroty-red tint. He had to dye his beard and eyebrows as well, so it'd look more natural.

"Great choice", Renee said, as her lips curbed in a tiny smile. "Now we'll both be red-haired".

Jack pulled her closer to him.

"People will think we are related and our relationship is incestuous", he joked, with a mischievous grin. He kissed the spot behind her ear.

Reluctantly, Renee stepped back.

"We can't do this now, Jack. We need to give you a make-over".

Jack didn't argue. After coloring his hair, they had to cut it. It hadn't been cut in six months.

"You could leave it long", she suggested, brushing Jack's long damped hair with her fingers. "Like Brad Pitt on Legends Of the Fall"

"I'm too old for that, sweetheart", he stated, with a chuckle. "Would you settle for Brad Pitt in Thelma and Louise?"

"That's so hot", she agreed, with a smile full of excitement. An idea suddenly flew inside her mind. "I should cut my hair too"

"As long as you don't change your color", Jack replied. Her hair now looked exactly like it did the first time he saw her. Her auburn hair had always fascinated him. He'd never forget the way it shined when he waltzed into the senate hearings. It was a shade of red that had been stuck in his mind ever since.

Renee looked at herself in the mirror for a long time, trying to figure out what would be the best style for her. She wanted something edgy and completely different.

"I think I want my hair like Robin Wright's in House Of Cards", she stated. "Have you ever watched that show?"

"Yeah", Jack replied, looking away, a bit awkwardly. He used to watch that TV show with his Ukrainian girlfriend, Sofiya. Renee knew nothing about her, yet. He chose to keep the information to himself, for the moment. He was afraid it'd hurt her.

The next morning, it was time to meet Sergio Mendoza. Jack and Renee sat down in a coffee house, to wait for him. He was running late, so they ordered coffee and pastries with Dulce De Leche.

"Sweetheart, you must try this", he told Renee, handing her a pastry stuffed with dulce de leche. "The brown thing is dulce the leche, made with milk and sugar".

She took a bite and tasted the dolce. An extreme sweet sensation took over her mouth. She had never tasted anything similar.

"Oh my God, this is amazing"

Then, a tall man walked through the door and approached them. His skin was pale and his eyes were blue. He was wearing an expensive-looking suit and sunglasses. He was a real _"porteño_", term used to describe people born in Buenos Aires City. Literally translated, the world meant "_From the port_".

"Are you Jake Gueller and Alexia Jones?", he asked them.

"That's right", Jack replied. His back tensed. He didn't know if he could trust the man before him. "Mr. Mendoza, I presume?"

"Yes", he confirmed, sitting down.

Sergio ordered coffee and flirted shamelessly with the waitress. Then, he addressed Jack and Renee.

"So, Belcheck told me you two are moving to Mar del Plata and need a job"

"Yes", Jack said. "Can you help us with that?"

"I think so", Sergio replied, with a nod, as the waitress gave them their coffees. "I own several nightclubs and a couple of gyms, one of those gyms is in Mar del Plata, but I need to sell it"

"Why?", Jack asked, with some distrust in his eyes.

"I want to focus on my nightclubs", Sergio replied, taking a sip of his coffee. "To be honest, Jake, the gym is no longer making as much money as I'd want. But, with dedication, it could be profitable again. You two could own it, and run it. Also, Belcheck told me you two have skills. You could teach self-defense classes there, and such"

Jack and Renee exchanged a look. The idea tempted them.

"Sounds good", Jack said, standing up. "Now, if you excuse me, I need to use the restroom"

Once Jack left, Renee looked around awkwardly. There was a delicate subject she needed to discuss with Sergio alone.

"Mr. Mendoza, Belcheck told me that you….", she cleared her throat, feeling uncomfortable. "That you provide certain products"

"You want to sell the as well?", Sergio asked.

"No", she replied, firmly. "But there's something I need for myself"

"Vicodin or Percocet?", he guessed, whispering.

"How did you know?", she asked, with her eyes widened with surprise.

"I've been doing this for a long time", he admitted. "Your teeth are white, so you don't smoke meth. Your fingers and lips don't look burnt, so you don't use a pipe. You don't have marks on your arms, which rules out heroin. And you don't have runny nose or look overexcited, so you are hooked on cocaine".

"You're right", Renee said, looking around anxiously. "Please, how can I get some vicodin?"

"I have people in Mar del Plata. I'll give you the number", Sergio said, writing a phone number on a napkin and handing it to her.

"Thank you", she whispered quickly, as Jack returned to the table. Sergio smiled.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?", the argentine man asked, takinga sip of his coffee.

"Actually, yes", Jack replied, eating a cookie that came with the coffee. "We are gonna need weapons"

"Of course", Sergio said, unsurprised. "Belcheck mentioned you two are in serious danger. But he refused to give me details"

"The details are not important", Jack groaned.

"Owning a weapon here is tricky", Sergio warned. "You must register it, of course. Regular individuals like yourselves are only allowed to own them for hunting, or sport-shooting. When you're not using it, you must keep it unloaded and away from the ammo. And you are not allowed to carry it loaded".

"Which makes the weapon useless", Renee complained. She bit her lower lip.

"You can always buy a small weapon and keep it hidden", Sergio suggested. "Unless you give the police reason to search you, you won't get caught". He wrote down a name and a number on a piece of paper, and gave it to Jake. "This is a guy who sells unregistered weapons. I recommend that for your situation. So if you end up using the gun, it won't be traced back to you". He, then, gave them a business card. "Here's the number of a lady who has a real state agency. She'll get you an apartment for a good price". He looked at his watch and stood up. "Sorry. I have to go now"

The three of them shook hands.

"Thank you, we appreciate all your help", Jack said.

"You are welcome. Belcheck's friends are my friends. Call me if you need anything"

After lunch, Jack and Renee decided to take a walk around Los Bosques de Palermo, or Palermo Woods. It was the largest urban park in Argentina, fashioned after Paris' Bois de Boulogne. Its lush meadows, flowerbeds and groves were very peaceful. They did the Rose Garden walk. Under the strong sun, they wandered around those breathtaking manicure gardens.

"Beautiful, isn't it?", she commented.

"Wonderful", Jack said, while they walked, holding hands.

"So, sweetie, do you want to stay in Buenos Aires for a few more days and see the city?"

"No. I think we should go to Mar del Plata now. It's time to go home"

They looked at each other's eyes silently for a moment. She understood exactly what he meant. Jack had spent the last four years traveling around the world, without a home. And then he had spent six months in prison. Now, he was itching to settle down in his new home, with her. He wanted to start the rest of their lives as soon as possible. So did she.

"I couldn't agree more", she said, and kissed his lips. "Let's go home"

So, they headed to their next adventure, to the unknown.

What was waiting for them there?


End file.
